#18 WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS (5-2, 3-1)
at MISSOURI
STATE BEARS (2-4, 1-2)
Saturday, October
23 • 1 p.m. • Springfield, Mo.
Plaster Field
(FieldTurf/16,300 capacity)
All-Time Series: WIU
leads 15-13-1
Last Meeting: MSU 17,
@WIU 16 (10/17/09)
THE GAME:
Missouri Valley Football Conference-leading Western Illinois travels to
Missouri State... The Fighting Leathernecks have won five of the last eight
meetings, but dropped a one-point decision last year at home... Western looks
to improve on this year's 1-2 road record... The offense continues to rank
among the nation's elite, this week standing eighth in rushing offense, fourth
in total offense and eighth in scoring offense... The defense ranks 24th in
scoring defense and 16th in pass efficiency defense... Western stands fifth
nationally in turnover margin... In its last eight trips to Missouri State,
Western has won six times and the two losses were by a combined eight points.
THE
RANKINGS: Western enters the game ranked 18th in the FCS
Coaches poll and 21st in The Sports Network/Fathead.com poll... Missouri State
is not ranked in either poll.
THE
SCHEMES: Western Illinois will line up in a multiple
formation on offense and 3-4 alignment on defense... Missouri State runs a
spread formation on offense and 3-4 alignment on defense.
THE
COACHES: Mark Hendrickson is in his 12th year with the Leatherneck
Football program, first as the head coach. He owns a 5-2 record this season,
10-12 record in three years (parts of two years as acting head coach)... Terry
Allen owns a 20-30 record in his fifth year at Missouri State, and 115-89
overall in 18 years as a head coach.
ALL-TIME SERIES:
Western Illinois holds an edge in the all-time
series 15-13-1 against Missouri State... Western has won six of the last eight
times visiting Springfield... The Bears won last year's game on a field goal
with 36 seconds remaining.
SCOUTING THE BEARS: Missouri State brings the Valley's top scoring
offense into the meeting, but only by a narrow margin over Western Illinois
(37.5 ppg to 37 ppg)... The Bears have scored at least 24 points every game,
including a season-high 59 points at Murray State only to lose 72-59...
Jermaine Saffold ranks eighth nationally averaging 97.8 receiving yards per
game and 40th with 5.2 receptions per contest... Cody Kirby ranks 15th in total
offense (second in the league behind Matt Barr) with 265.7 yards. He also ranks
33rd in passing efficiency with a 130.43 rating and stands third scoring a
league-best 11 points per game... However, the Bears' defense stands last
nationally allowing 340.3 passing yards and 507 total offense yards. The 39.3
points allowed ranks 115th out of 117 teams in the Football Championship
Subdivision... MSU has lost twice this year in overtime, both conference games
(44-41 at Illinois State and 38-35 at Indiana State)... The Bears are 2-0 at
home this year with wins over Eastern Kentucky and Youngstown State... Stephen
Johnston rushed for a team-high 112 yards and a score at Indiana State... Kirby
rushed for two TDs, gaining 39 yards on 19 carries, then threw for another 193
yards and a score... Safford caught four passes accounting for 141 receiving
yards. He also finished with 116 kickoff return yards, including a 65-yard
return... Skylar Smith recorded a team-high 11 tackles, including seven solos.
PROTECT
THE BALL: Western Illinois turned in another turnover-free
game versus Youngstown State, the fifth time doing so this year... The
Leathernecks have committed just two offensive turnovers on the year (Indiana
State)... Western ranks first in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and
fifth nationally in turnover margin (+9/1.3 pg). Last year Western finished at
minus-12 in turnovers.
NATIONALLY-RANKED
OFFENSE: Western's offense has been nothing short of
impressive during the first half of the season. Head coach Mark Hendrickson,
offensive coordinator Doug Ruse and the offense ranks among the national
leaders (and leads the MVFC) in several categories...
- 8th in rushing
offense (244.9 ypg)
- 4th in total offense
(477.1 ypg)
- 8th in scoring
offense (37 ppg/3rd in MVFC)
- 14th in passing
efficiency (147.11)
Matt
Barr leads the Valley and ranks 11th in total offense (274.1), 12th in
passing efficiency (145.68) and 18th in passing yards (226.3)... Terriun
Crump (69 ypg) and Lito Sentaus (63.3)
are 39th and 59th, respectively, in reception yards per game... Bryce
Flowers stands seventh in the league and 27th nationally gaining 95.3 yards on
the ground per game.
DID YOU KNOW...: Did
you know that on 11 occasions (including this year) two Leathernecks rushed for
100 or more yards in the same game, or that 10 times two Leathernecks recorded
100-plus receiving yards in the same game... What you may not know is that the 2010 season is the only time in
107 years of Leatherneck Football both feats were accomplished during the same
season.
WESTERN RALLIES TO WIN: Western Illinois trailed Youngstown State by
three points heading into the fourth quarter. The Leathernecks outscored YSU
12-7 in the final stanza to pick up the 40-38 win... That marked the program's
first come-from-behind fourth quarter victory since defeating Montana in
double-overtime during the first round of the 2003 NCAA playoffs.
